User blog:Aryllia/Quick Cleaning Solutions for Every Room
Ripped from this advertisement-riddled article. Easy Steps for Cleaning the Kitchen Kitchen duty isn't easy. The main culprit: grease. Before you start combating it, move small appliances off the counters to ensure that bacteria (kitchen enemy No. 2) won't flourish underneath the toaster oven or the coffeemaker. If You Have 15 Minutes Clean countertops and the sink. Spray disinfectant in the sink and let it soak. "Otherwise the product won't have time to kill all the bacteria and viruses you're trying to remove," says Janice Stewart, owner of Castle Keepers, a professional cleaning service in Charleston, South Carolina. Meanwhile, spritz the counters with disinfectant. Then scrub the sink with a sponge, rinse well, and dry. Return to the counters and wipe dry with a fresh cotton or microfiber cloth. Sweep or dry-mop the floor. Make a pass using an electrostatic mop (like those from Swiffer) or cloth. This will pick up dirt and hair and make wet-mopping more efficient. Clean the refrigerator handle. It takes only seconds to wipe down this bacteria-friendly spot with disinfectant. If You Have 30 Minutes, Add the Following Wet-mop the floor. A few spritzes of an all-purpose cleaner and a damp microfiber mop will do the trick. "You can finish the kitchen floor in minutes―with no dirty water bucket," says speed-cleaning expert Laura Dellutri. Wipe down appliances. Clean the surfaces of the gadgets. If You Have an Hour, Add the Following Wash the cabinet fronts. Wipe from top to bottom with a soft sponge and a solution of warm water and dish soap. If the cabinets are wood, use a wood cleanser. If You Have Half a Day, Add the Following Deep-clean appliances. To freshen the refrigerator's interior, clean it with a solution of three tablespoons baking soda and four cups warm water. No self-cleaning oven? Wipe down the inside with an all-purpose cleanser. Use a plastic scraper (or an old credit card) to get bits of food off the racks and drip pan. Dust and degrime inside and out. Remove crumbs from inside cabinets with a vacuum attachment or a damp cloth. Easy Steps for Cleaning the Family Room In everyone's favorite flop spot, clutter reigns supreme. DVDs, crayons, chew toys―they all find their way here. Dirt also collects quickly in this heavily trafficked zone, so floors and furniture need a bit of extra attention. If You Have 15 Minutes Clear the clutter. Tour the room with a laundry basket in tow, picking up any out-of-place items for redistribution later. Speed-dust at eye-level. Grab two electrostatic or microfiber cloths. Rotate out the grimy cloth, or opt for quick two-handed dust-busting, says Donna Smallin, author of Cleaning Plain & Simple. Fluff pillows and fold throws. These small adjustments result in a big visual impact. If You Have 30 Minutes, Add the Following Vacuum or dry-mop the floor. It's time-consuming but important. "Dirt can cut carpet fibers and damage wood floors," says Jeff Campbell, founder of the Clean Team, a residential cleaning service in Jackson, California. He recommends concentrating on the areas around doorways, which harbor tracked-in dirt. If You Have an Hour, Add the Following Tackle upholstery and window treatments. Use the vacuum's brush attachment to get dust off sofas and chairs. Clean under and behind cushions, then flip them to distribute wear evenly. Close the curtains and use a vacuum attachment to clean. For blinds, wipe each slat with a damp microfiber cloth. If You Have Half a Day, Add the Following Wash the windows. To minimize streaking, use a glass cleaner and a lint-free material, such as a cloth diaper or an old T-shirt. Graham and Rosemary Haley, authors of Haley's Cleaning Hints, suggest cleaning with vertical strokes inside and horizontal ones outside (or vice versa) so you'll know which side any remaining streaks are on. Spot-clean the walls. Remove crumbs from inside cabinets with a vacuum attachment or a damp cloth. Combat hidden dirt and dusts. Get behind, underneath, and on top of tall furniture with a long-handled duster. Roll back rugs and clean the floor below. Easy Steps for Cleaning the Bedroom Probably the easiest room to get―and to keep―clean. Yet this lightly trafficked, memento-laden area presents one big problem: dust. The room is a breeding ground for the stuff (think under-the-bed dust bunnies and powdery picture frames). If You Have 15 Minutes Freshen the bed. Shaking out or changing sheets kicks up dust, so do those tasks first. To further freshen, spray sheets with linen spray before making the bed. Damp-dust surfaces. Spritz an electrostatic or microfiber cloth with dusting spray and make your way around the room in a clockwise circle. "Otherwise you'll bounce from corner to corner having no idea what you've cleaned and what you haven't," says San Francisco Chronicle cleaning columnist Tara Aronson. Start with the perimeter, then hit the interior. If You Have 30 Minutes, Add the Following Tackle the floor. If it's wood, run a damp (not wet) microfiber mop around the edges of the bed and all other exposed areas. (Remember don't wet-mop hardwood floors, as they could warp.) Vacuum the same zones if you have carpeting. If You Have an Hour, Add the Following Get under the bed. And behind it, too. Use an electrostatic dusting tool, such as the Starfiber Dusterator. It will clean hardwood floors and also pick up some dust and hair from carpeting, cutting down on those times you need to push aside the whole bed. If You Have Half a Day, Add the Following Do the windows, walls, and lights. Use a microfiber or electrostatic cloth and a glass or all-purpose surface cleaner to clean panes, frames, and windowsills in one fell swoop. Wipe down light switches and fixtures. Use an eraser pad to take any scuffs and stains off the walls. Hit the closets. Why? Because dirt and dust are in there and will eventually find their way out. "Dust is microscopic and can aggravate allergies and asthma," says Sarah Smock of the Memphis-based cleaning service Merry Maids. "Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it can't do some harm." Vacuum or mop the floor. Also, dust the shelves and wipe down the doors with a damp microfiber cloth. Easy Steps for Cleaning the Bathroom Haven of mildew and mold, this is probably your least favorite room to clean. It takes a little effort to scrub the toilet and clean the grout, but the flushable wipe makes sanitizing a snap. If You Have 15 Minutes Start with the sink. With flushable wipe in hand, clean the sink (the room’s focal point) and its fixtures, concentrating on the grime-friendly seams where the two meet. Speed-sanitize. Grab another towelette to clean the edge of the bathtub, the toilet seat, and the toilet exterior. Finish up by shining the mirror with glass cleaner and a cloth. If You Have 30 Minutes, Add the Following Squirt bowl cleaner around the inside edge. Let it sit for a few minutes, says Sarah Smock of the Memphis-based cleaning service Merry Maids. While it’s soaking, use a wipe or a fresh cloth and all-purpose cleaner to clean the seat around its base and hinges. Return to the bowl and give stubborn rings a scrubbing with a sponge or a brush. Deep-clean the toilet, part 2. If your bowl is porcelain, try rubbing a natural pumice stone (available at most hardware stores) on lime, rust, and hard-water stains. Keep the stone very moist throughout the process and it shouldn’t scratch. If You Have an Hour, Add the Following Damp-mop the floor. Use a wet mop with a pivoting head to get into awkward corners between the sink, the toilet, and the tub. If You Have Half a Day, Add the Following Scrub down the shower and the tub. Spray the shower walls and the tub with all-purpose cleaner. Scrub from the top down so the tub floor gets the full benefit of a soaking to dissolve buildup. Remove mildew, mold, and other stubborn bits. For lime scale–laden shower doors (they look white and murky), speed-cleaning expert Laura Dellutri recommends a wiping down with lemon oil. To dislodge mildew and mold, apply hydrogen peroxide straight from the bottle (wear rubber gloves to protect your hands). Let it soak in for five minutes, then scrub with a grout brush. Category:Blog posts